Subjonctif : conjugaisons irrégulières
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Many otherwise irregular French verbs have regular subjunctive conjugations – but there are exceptions. Stem-changing verbs and what I like to call very, extremely, or ridiculously irregular verbs have irregular subjunctive conjugations.
Stem-changing verbs
Stem-changing verbs have a two-stem subjunctive conjugation.
1) The present tense third person plural (ils) conjugation provides the stem for singular as well as third person plural subjunctive conjugations (just as it does for regular verbs), the upshot of which is that the stem change occurs in these conjugations.
2) The stem for the first and second person plural is based on the present tense first person plural (nous) conjugation.
lever | jeter | essayer | ||
present tense: | ils | lèvent | jettent | essaient |
stem | lèv- | jett- | essai- | |
subjunctive endings | ||||
… que je / j’ | -e | lève | jette | essaie |
… que tu | -es | lèves | jettes | essaies |
… qu’il/elle/on | -e | lève | jette | essaie |
… qu’ils/elles | -ent | lèvent | jettent | essaient |
present tense: | nous | levons | jetons | essayons |
stem | lev- | jet- | essay- | |
subjunctive endings | ||||
… que nous | -ions | levions | jetions | essayions |
… que vous | -iez | leviez | jetiez | essayiez |
Very irregular verbs
Very irregular verbs* follow this same two-stem pattern:
devoir | prendre | tenir | ||
present tense: | ils | doivent | prennent | tiennent |
stem | doiv- | prenn- | tienn- | |
subjunctive endings | ||||
… que je | -e | doive | prenne | tienne |
… que tu | -es | doives | prennes | tiennes |
… qu’il/elle/on | -e | doive | prenne | tienne |
… qu’ils/elles | -ent | doivent | prennent | tiennent |
present tense: | nous | devons | prenons | tenons |
stem | dev- | pren- | ten- | |
subjunctive endings | ||||
… que nous | -ions | devions | prenions | tenions |
… que vous | -iez | deviez | preniez | teniez |
* As opposed to irregular verbs that have regular subjunctive conjugations.
Extremely irregular verbs
Seven extremely French verbs have irregular subjunctive stems but take the same endings. Of these,
- faire, pouvoir, and savoir have a single subjunctive stem
- aller, valoir, and vouloir follow the two-stem pattern: one for the singular and the third person plural conjugations, and the other for the first and second person plural
faire | pouvoir | savoir | aller | valoir | vouloir | |
stems | fass- | puiss- | sach- | aill- / all- | vaill- / val- | veuill- / voul- |
… que je / j’ | fasse | puisse | sache | aille | vaille | veuille |
… que tu | fasses | puisses | saches | ailles | vailles | veuilles |
… qu’il/elle/on | fasse | puisse | sache | aille | vaille | veuille |
… que nous | fassions | puissions | sachions | allions | valions | voulions |
… que vous | fassiez | puissiez | sachiez | alliez | valiez | vouliez |
… qu’ils/elles | fassent | puissent | sachent | aillent | vaillent | veuillent |
And number 7? The impersonal verb falloir has only one subjunctive conjugation: … qu’il faille.
Ridiculously irregular verbs
Of course, the ridiculously irregular verbs avoir and être remain true to form in the subjunctive, with two irregular stems as well as irregular endings:
avoir | être | |||
… que je / j’ | aie | sois | ||
… que tu | aies | sois | ||
… qu’il/elle/on | ait | soit | ||
… que nous | ayons | soyons | ||
… que vous | ayez | soyez | ||
… qu’ils/elles | aient | soient |
Subjunctive Quizzes
Think you’ve got it? Test yourself on the French subjunctive with these fill-in-the-blanks exercises:
Note: You must be logged into your Progress with Lawless French account to take these tests. If you don’t have one, sign up – it’s free!
More French subjunctive
- Introduction to the subjunctive
- Regular subjunctive conjugations
- Irregular subjunctive conjugations
- Subjunctive conjugations – PwLF super list
- The Subjunctivisor!
- La chanson du subjonctif
- Introduction to verbs
French Lesson Plans
- Using the French Subjunctive (Project, 9th-12th grade)
- Synopsis: French Indicative and Subjunctive Forms (Worksheet, 8th-19th grade)
En español
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